Dong Thap (VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap is accelerating the sampling of fallen soldiers' remains, aiming to complete the collection and handover of all samples by the end of October 2026.
Under the 500-day campaign to step up the search for, collection and identification of the remains of fallen soldiers, as of September 21, the remains sampling team of the provincial Military Command had collected more than 8,420 samples from remains whose identities have yet to be determined.
The province plans to collect samples from 12,233 graves of unidentified fallen soldiers. So far, the sampling team has completed work at 18 of 30 martyrs' cemeteries and is currently working at four others. A total of 10,766 graves have been excavated, yielding 8,427 samples, of which 3,216 have been handed over to the DNA testing centre.
Colonel Nguyen Van Hoa, Political Commissar of the provincial Military Command and standing deputy head of the provincial Steering Committee 515, said that in the coming period, the command will direct Team K91 to deploy personnel and equipment to conduct search and collection operations in Prey Veng and Pursat provinces of Cambodia.
It will also accelerate the sampling of remains according to the set schedule, striving to complete the collection and handover of samples by the end of October 2026. It will also finalise dossiers, standardise and digitise data, manage and preserve samples, and hand over biological specimens for DNA testing, while proactively monitoring, receiving, cross-checking and making use of DNA test results.
Dong Thap will step up communications and mobilisation efforts, promote the role of war veterans, witnesses, relatives of fallen soldiers and local residents in providing information, and strengthen the reception, collection, study, cross-checking, verification and confirmation of information sources. It will focus on reviewing temporary cemeteries, former burial sites and locations where information or signs related to the burial of fallen soldiers' remains have been reported, clarifying the information and selecting sufficiently substantiated leads for field surveys and excavation.
At the same time, it will improve the capacity of personnel directly involved in the work, strengthen professional training and refresher courses, and conduct regular inspections, guidance, preliminary reviews and experience-sharing. It will also proactively ensure adequate personnel, vehicles, equipment, materials, funding and other necessary conditions, particularly for field surveys and excavation operations./.
